News & Blog Posts

Congratulations to the 25 Grant Winners!

Western Growers Foundation has once again proudly partnered with the Arizona Department of Agriculture to award K–12 Arizona schools with $37,500 in edible school garden funding. We are excited to announce the twenty five winning schools that will receive $1,500 each... Read More

Western Growers Foundation has partnered with Driscoll’s as a part of their Regional Community Grants Program to award $10,000 in edible school garden grants. WGF will award $500 grants to these twenty K-12 schools - plus seeds and a copy of...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member Shannon McDowell, who is currently serving with the Center for Healthy Communities through California State University, Chico. Within less than a year, Shannon has spearheaded the Harvest of the Month program...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member Ryan Griffith, who is currently serving with Conejo Valley Unified School District in Thousand Oaks, CA. From conducting taste tests and supporting school gardens to recipe development for school lunches, Ryan is...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member Emily Metzger, who is currently serving with University of California Cooperative Extension, Central Sierra and Gardens to Grow In in Calaveras, CA. As one of the very few California natives in the FoodCorps...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member Michelle Pinter-Petrillo, who is currently serving with Oakland Unified School District as a garden educator. Read on to learn how Michelle juggles teaching classrooms and mentoring high school youth. ...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member Roanna Cooper with Food, What?!, a youth empowerment program in partnership with Life Lab. Read on to learn about how Roanna is leading teen youth and supporting them with events, workshops and work days ...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member Monica Drazba with University of California Cooperative Extension, Central Sierra. Read on to learn about how Gold Country is bringing farm to school along the Sierras.

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member, Ashley Marquez, with San Diego Unified School District. This year Ashley is supporting the district's Harvest of the Month program by facilitating taste tests in classes and school cafeterias. Read on to learn...

Congratulations to the 50 recipients of our 2015 Arizona School Garden Grant!

Western Growers Foundation proudly partners with the Arizona Department of Agriculture to offer a competitive grant to K–12 Arizona schools. These fifty schools will receive $1,000 each—plus seeds and materials—to grow and sustain their edible gardens. The...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by former FoodCorps Service Member, Chris Massa, with Ventura Unified School District. After serving with FoodCorps for 1.5 years, Chris Massa has now landed the position as the Farm to School Operations Specialist with the school district...

This service highlight was originally posted by the California Farm to School Network and was written by FoodCorps Service Member John Pleasants with Oakland Unified School District. Read on to learn about our member's service with the district and the partnership between the district and Center for Ecoliteracy for the California Thursdays...

This service highlight, originally posted with the California Farm to School Network, is written by FoodCorps Service Member Sara Mendes who is currently serving with Life Lab and Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF) along the Central Coast. Serving in the heartland of agriculture and in Spanish-speaking communities, Sara has been...

Recently we had the opportunity to visit three of our school garden grant recipients and discovered they all had one thing in common: they sell the produce they grow to the community as a means of economic sustainability.

Our first stop was at Rolling Hills Elementary School in Fullerton, Calif., where we met up with Marilou Hertzberg...

This blogpost is brought to you by FoodCorps California Service Member, Ceanna Vangelder, with Oakland Unified School District and the California Farm to School Network. Read on to learn about how Ceanna brings fresh produce to nearby schools in Oakland, CA.

A school garden is a unique learning enviroment. The garden is not as free as recess nor as confined as a classroom. A school garden is an outdoor or garden classroom. Just as there are rules and norms for recess and the indoor classroom, effective instuction in the garden classroom depends on a management style appropriate to...

Western Growers Foundation proudly partners with the Arizona Department of Agriculture to offer a competitive grant to K–12 Arizona schools. Fifty schools will receive $1,000 each—plus seeds and materials—to grow and sustain their edible gardens. The grants will be awarded in early spring in time for the 2015 Spring planting season. This grant...

CA Farm To School Conference 2015 - Connecting. Growing. Leading.
May 4th - 6th | Asilomar | Pacific Grove, CACA Farm to School Conference is looking for speakers and panel participants for the California Farm to School Conference. Deadline for submission is January 7, 2015.

Congratulations to the recipients of the California School Garden Grants!

Western Growers Foundation (WGF) proudly partners with the California Department of Education (CDE) to award 100 K-12 schools $1,500 each—plus seeds and other materials to grow and sustain a fruit and vegetable garden. This program is made possible through a...

The school garden at Rolling Hills Elementary School in San Diego is thriving. The children, Principal Kathleen Marshack, and parent volunteers got a chance to show it off while demonstrating how fun it is to grow (and eat) your own food! Some special gifts and attention were brought Tuesday by representatives from the Western Growers...

Congratulations to the recipients of the Arizona School Garden Grants!

Western Growers Foundation (WGF) worked with the Arizona Department of Agriculture to provide 50 garden grants of $1,500 each to eligible K-12 schools. Each of the following schools will receive $1,500, an Arizona Gardens for Learning Book, Producepedia bookmarks...

We’ve used that mantra for years now, but here’s a little snag. Seems no one is immune to rules and regulations these days, and edible school gardens — particularly those in Arizona — have a few rules that can make it a bit more difficult...

Is there a school garden in your community? There could be. With grants from the Western Growers Foundation (WGF) and your personal involvement, a lot of kids will be introduced to good nutrition and the joy of seeing something grow. The Foundation received grants from both the California Department of Food...

In the chaos of everyday life, between work and family time, it’s hard to find any down time, let alone time or energy to volunteer. Yet there are teachers, parents and community members who carve out their precious time to contribute. One of those parents, Jose Lopez, is a Western Growers employee and a dedicated volunteer at John Adams...

Last Saturday, I attended a Master Gardener workshop on Creating and Sustaining a Youth Garden. Karen Wilson, a Master Gardener and one of the presenters outlined key people and roles for those of us in the planning stages to consider.

1. Build and Test Your Soil

The Western Growers Foundation grant for Arizona and California sustainable edible school gardens will be awarded soon! Grants are being reviewed now and will be posted by the end of the month. Grant winners will also receive a drip tape row crop irrigation kit! Stay tuned for more information coming soon!

What started out as a small request from Russ Drew’s wife to beautify the area outside of the Teddy Bear Tymes center, turned into a garden project and a wonderful learning opportunity for the children at the childcare center located in San Bernardino, CA. The center, which provides quality care for children from six weeks to six years old and...

Life Lab, in collaboration with the California School Garden Network, conducted the California School Garden Survey to gain insights into the factors that help school gardens to function effectively, the resources that are needed to sustain them, and how they are utilized. The 2014 California School Garden Survey received 552 completed responses... Read More

Does your school cafeteria practice scratch cooking? Does a local farmer provide the freshest broccoli to your students? Do fresh greens from the school garden end up in a healthy lunch salad? The California Farm to School Network is holding a contest to celebrate the school lunch trays throughout the state that feature the great ways that...

Western Growers Foundation (WGF) is pleased to announce the Arizona / California Grant for Sustainable Edible School Gardens. This grant is open to all K-12 Arizona and California schools, who have existing gardens. Forty schools will receive $500 each to sustain their fruit and vegetable gardens. Applications must be completed and submitted...

Rachael Barkley and Paula Olson, VP of Marketing at Western Growers visited Alice Byre Elementary School to present a $1500 check from Western Growers. Students will be using the funding to expand their small two-bed garden to include more vegetables and fruit.

Within a year of its' inception, the Gary Knox Elementary School Garden is already positively impacting the students test scores. "Science test results of the fourth-grade students increased 17 percent," said Principal Laura Hurt.

Every child deserves to grow up knowing where food comes from, how to grow it, cook it and share it, and how to be healthy. And now, thanks to the hard work of Andrew Nowak and his team of volunteer Slow Food leaders and garden coordinators across the country, the new School Garden Manua...

The National School Garden Network connects organizations and individuals supporting multiple school gardens across district, regional, or state levels. The network's forum provides a space for school garden professionals to connect and share resources, while its...

Congratulations to the recipients of the Child Care and Pre-school Garden Grants!

Western Growers Foundation (WGF) worked with the California Department of Education (CDE), Nutrition Services Division (NSD) to provide 100 garden grants of $1,000 each to eligible child care centers or preschools participating in the...

In 2012, Western Growers Foundation (WGF) worked with the California Department of Education (CDE), Nutrition Services Division (NSD) to provide 100 garden grants of $1,000 each to eligible child care centers or preschools participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). These competitive garden grants were awarded to agencies or...

California Foundation for Agriculture is the Classroom is providing 250 third through eighth grade educators with grants of $300 each to purchase California specialty crop fruits and vegetables for monthly classroom taste tests!

Taste testing in the classroom will help third through eighth grade students throughout California gain...

The dream to have an outdoor garden at the Merryhill School on Yosemite Drive took flight Monday with a butterfly release in the near-completed site during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. "Not only is today the...

Kelli Wessman is the creator of Garden of Learning and a true veteran garden educator. In the following essay she offers up her insight on the wonders of garden-based learning and shares the reality that creating and sustaining school gardens is not always easy, but it is worth it.

School gardens have taken root and are flourishing in Calaveras Unified School District. We currently have garden programs in three elementary schools, our middle school and at the high school. Two other elementary schools are in the process of building support to create their own gardens and our goal is to have a “garden...

Western Growers Foundation (WGF) is working with the California Department of Education (CDE), Nutrition Services Division (NSD) to provide 100 garden grants of $1,000 each to eligible child care centers or preschools participating in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). These competitive garden grants will be awarded to agencies or...

Through the generous support of HMC Farms, the Western Growers Foundation is opening up a competitive grant opportunity for Oakland Unified School District K-12 grade schools, to receive a $1,000 grant to grow and sustain an edible school garden. Click ...

A school garden is an ideal location to tie hands-on learning to language arts. Here are some ways to “dig in” with literature activities, including the Imagine this… Story Writing Contest (deadline: Nov. 1).

Serving garden grown veggies in school lunch or breakfast is becoming more and more popular. The goal is not that the garden is meant to be the soul source for veggie production, but rather to reinforce the connection to the soil that sustains us all. Some school food service directors have even been known to pay the garden program for the...

When the Network for a Healthy California began developing the four-page Harvest of the Month educator newsletters in 2005, there was one element everyone agreed should be included: a section on school gardens. At the time, gardens were a relatively new find in schools; but it was apparent to all that school gardens held...

Tell us your favorite "One Bite Lessons" and see what others have to shared.One Bite Lesson: An edible activity that doesn't require a kitchen or excessive preparation. A fun and creative way to have kids sample plants right from the garden. View...

It’s a hot summer day, and students have just harvested the last green beans and peppers from their school gardens. They are looking for some new recipes so they can taste the fruits of their labors. But where to start to find simple, easy ideas to sample and prepare the green beans and peppers they’ve grown?

Middle and High School gardening programs are often known for a lack of resources to support learning in the classroom and garden. The structure of primary grades and the content that is being taught at the elementary level does make it easier for garden-based learning to occur. But there are many great resources and reasons to continue garden-...

Inspiring children to eat more fruits and vegetables can be challenging. But when animated characters Isabel, Mateo and Bluebird talk with children about eating more produce grown in or near their community in a new activity booklet, A Farm 2 Table...

Did you know that melons were first cultivated in Persia and northern Africa nearly 4,000 years ago, and later by ancient Greeks and Romans? Or that collard greens were also grown by ancient Greeks and Romans and are the oldest leafy green within the cabbage family? Or that carrots were originally a purplish color and cultivated in...

The FOSS Science Curriculum is used in schools across the state and nation. The cover story of the Cultivating FOSS Connections to Your School Garden, in the Fall 2011 FOSS Newsletter (No. 38), demonstrates ways to connect FOSS Modules to the garden. Check it out and then...

IRVINE, Calif. (Jan. 16, 2012)—Funded by the California Department of Food & Agriculture, Western Growers Foundation is working with the California Department of Education to award $1,000 each to 100 preschools and child care centers across the state to create an edible garden. Western Growers Foundation—the charitable arm of Western...

The Living Classroom School Garden Program is a project of the Los Altos School District.

The project's mission is: To provide students with enriching and stimulating hands-on instruction directly supporting efforts of the classroom teacher and correlating with the existing curriculum as well as State Standards.

"For grades K-12. Garden based leraning with links to lessons on climate change, water, water-energy articles, and children and nature. Children and nature lessons for all grades, will pop up in a new on-line window."

"Film exposes how, with the help of government subsidies, genetically modified seeds, and powerful herbicides, America's most subsidized crop becomes the staple of its cheapest--and most troubling--foods. "

"6th-8th grade curriculum is designed to: Develop an awareness of the many varied facets of horticulture; Develop positive attitudes toward the impact of horticulture on society. Understand the nutritional, aesthetic, environmental, and therapeutic values of horticulture and much more...

"For grades K-4 One of the most complete list of lessons used in a garden-based school program that serves 1,800 students in Loveland OH. More than just lessons, but a complete guide to running a comprehensive garden program!"

"Education programs give teachers and other educators the resources to help students develop a passion for helping others. Lesson plans, action ideas, activities, multimedia supplements and other tools help lead students on the path to global citizenship. "

A special needs class at Monte Vista Middle School in Camarillo is experiencing the joys of gardening.

A class of 12 autistic students in sixth through eighth grade is learning about planting, growing and harvesting a variety of vegetables under the tutelage of Dianne Polen, the school's Life Lab and campus beautification coordinator....

While managing the Life Lab Garden Classroom I have learned what makes a good sign - a good sign is one that you don't have to repair year after year. Unless of course you want sign making to be a project for your students year after year.

Labeling plants helps kids to learn about them and connect what they eat with what is growing...

“Gardening is a really good way for kids to learn about life cycles of plants, and the elements that it takes for them to grow,” said Stan Miller, associate superintendent at Nevada County Superintendent of Schools. “It can be a jumping off point for a lot of different lessons. It's a great opportunity for kids to learn.”...

Thanks to a donation by Carlsbad-based company Jenny Craig, Jefferson Elementary students have learned to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables and enjoy composting at school. Read more at Carlsbad Patch

Many of us in the teaching field, and the kids we work with, have always felt that being in the garden can lift our mood. Is it the sunshine and outdoors? Is it the great exercise that happens in the garden? Is it the connection to the earth? Is it the accomplishment of growing something beautiful and nutritious? Well, yes, it could be all of...

Attention teachers, students and parents! Can you name all of the plant parts that people eat? Listen to this song by the Banana Slug String Band to learn more. Their popular tune Roots, Stems Leaves gives a hint. Before you play it...

In November 2010, Congress approved a resolution to officially designate October as National Farm to School Month. The passage of House Resolution 1655 demonstrates the growing importance and role of Farm to School programs as a means to improve child nutrition, support local economies and educate children about the origins of food. Want to...

NEW! Nourish Short Films DVD
54 Bite-Sized Videos about the Story of Your Food
With thought-provoking commentary and beautiful visuals, Nourish Short Films explores the story of our food through 54 bite-sized videos. Packed with inspiration and ideas, the DVD features Michael Pollan, Anna Lappé, Jamie Oliver, Alice Waters, Bryant...

Today, Western Growers Foundation awarded $1,500 grants to nine schools in California and Arizona to help grow school gardens. Since 2002, the effort has funded more than 500 school gardens throughout California and Arizona.

Studies show school gardens increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables by children. The...

In 2011 Life Lab, along with the CSGN, shared results from the California School Garden Survey. Over 500 schools responded. The response was much less than prior statewide data collected via the California Instructional School Garden Grant Program which collected data from 3,900 school garden sites and sites requesting funds to start school...

California School Garden Network Hosts Garden Makeover at Locke High School in Los Angeles

Los Angeles (October 21, 2006), First Lady Maria Shriver joins the California School Garden Network (CSGN) and hundreds of students, teachers, families and volunteers at the launch of the inaugural California School Garden Week at Locke High School...

On the South Steps of the State Capitol, First Lady Maria Shriver joined business and environmental leaders, school children and families in celebrating ways to preserve the environment in an effort to promote a greener future for the children of this state. Special guest Bob Saget served as Mater of Ceremonies and NBA star Vlade Divac joined...

SACRAMENTO, CA March 29, 2006 — The California School Garden Network (CSGN) announces www.csgn.org, a one-stop-shop for teachers seeking information about establishing, funding and maintaining school gardens. The CSGN and its Web site are the fruits of ongoing collaboration between state agencies, private...